THE MAGIC POCKET
Selected Poems
by Michio Mado & translated by Empress Michiko & illustrated by Mitsumasa Anno
The Magic Pocket (32 pp.; $16.00; Nov. 1; 0-689-82137-9): Mado’s second collection of poetry (The Animals, 1992) reflects with quiet intimacy children’s relationship with the natural world, with lithe phrasing that is exquisitely pared down and precise. Minimal language conjures striking images—“Umbrella, umbrella, The world’s/Biggest flower.” Anno’s neutral-toned illustrations match the diminutive scale of the poems; hailstones with little faces, smiling fingernails in a row, happy acorns, and bounding rabbits decorate the pages. Both Japanese and English versions of the poems appear. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)